Automated tuning of gas turbine combustion systems

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure provides a tuning system for tuning the operation of a gas turbine. The system comprises operational turbine controls for controlling operational control elements of the turbine, including at least one of turbine fuel distribution or the fuel temperature. The system also has a tuning controller communicating with the turbine controls. The tuning controller is configured to tune the operation of the turbine in accordance with the following steps: receiving operational data about the turbine, providing a hierarchy of tuning issues, determining whether sensed operational data is within predetermined operational limits and producing one or more indicators. If the operational data is not within predetermined operational limits, the tuning controller will rank the one or more indicators to determine dominant tuning concern, and tune the operation of the turbine based on dominant tuning concern. Also provided herein are a method and computer readable medium for tuning.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an automated system to sense theoperating condition of a turbine combustion system and to makeadjustments to achieve desired operation of the turbine combustionsystem.

BACKGROUND

Lean premixed combustion systems have been deployed on land based gasturbine engines to reduce emissions, such as NOx and CO. These systemshave been successful and, in some cases, produce emission levels thatare at the lower limits of measurement capabilities, approximately 1 to3 parts per million (ppm) of NOx and CO. Although these systems are agreat benefit from a standpoint of emission production, the operationalenvelope of the systems is substantially reduced when compared to moreconventional combustion systems. As a consequence, the control of fuelconditions, distribution and injection into the combustion zones hasbecome a critical operating parameter and requires frequent adjustment,when ambient atmospheric conditions, such as temperature, humidity andpressure, change. The re-adjustment of the combustion fuel conditions,distribution and injection is termed tuning.

Controlled operation of a combustion system generally employs a manualsetting of the operational control settings of a combustor to yield anaverage operational condition. These settings may be input through acontroller, which as used herein shall mean any device used to controlthe operation of a system. Examples include a Distributed Control System(DCS), a gas turbine controller, a programmable logical controller(PLC), a stand-alone computer with communication to another controllerand/or directly to a system.

These settings are satisfactory at the time of the setup, but conditionsmay change when tuning issues arise and cause an unacceptable operationin a matter of hours or days. Tuning issues are any situation wherebyany operational parameters of a system are in excess of acceptablelimits. Examples include emissions excursion outside of allowablelimits, combustor dynamics excursion outside of allowable limits, or anyother tuning event requiring adjustment of a turbine's operationalcontrol elements. Other approaches use a formula to predict emissionsbased on a gas turbine's operating settings and select a set point forfuel distribution and/or overall machine fuel/air ratio, withoutmodifying other control elements, such as fuel gas temperature. Theseapproaches do not allow for timely variation, do not take advantage ofactual dynamics and emission data or do not modify fuel distribution,fuel temperature and/or other turbine operating parameters.

Another variable that impacts the lean premixed combustion system isfuel composition. Sufficient variation in fuel composition will cause achange in the heat release of the lean premixed combustion system. Suchchange may lead to emissions excursions, unstable combustion processes,or even blow out of the combustion system.

Mis-operation of the combustion system manifests itself in augmentedpressure pulsations or an increase in combustion dynamics (hereinafter,combustion dynamics may be indicated by the symbol “HP”). Pulsations canhave sufficient force to destroy the combustion system and dramaticallyreduce the life of combustion hardware. Additionally, improper tuning ofthe combustion system can lead to emission excursions and violateemission permits. Therefore, a means to maintain the stability of thelean premixed combustion systems, on a regular or periodic basis, withinthe proper operating envelope, is of great value and interest to theindustry. Additionally, a system that operates by utilizing nearreal-time data, taken from the turbine sensors, would have significantvalue to coordinate modulation of operational control elements such asfuel distribution, fuel gas inlet temperature and/or overall machinefuel/air ratio.

While real-time tuning of a combustion system can provide tremendousoperational flexibility and protection for turbine hardware, acombustion system may concurrently experience a number of differentoperational issues. For example, most turbine operators of lean premixedcombustion systems are concerned with exhaust emissions (NOx and CO) aswell as combustor dynamics. It is not uncommon for both high NOxemissions and high combustor dynamics to coexist on a turbine.Additionally, tuning in response to one concern can make otherconstraints worse, for example tuning for low NOx can make combustordynamics worse, tuning for high CO can make NOx worse, etc. It would bebeneficial to provide a system whereby an algorithm is used to comparethe current status of all tuning concerns, rank each concern in order ofimportance, determine the operational concern of most interest, andsubsequently commence automated tuning to remediate this dominantoperational concern.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure provides a tuning system for tuning the operationof a gas turbine. The system comprises operational turbine controls forcontrolling operational control elements of the turbine, including atleast one of turbine fuel distribution or the fuel temperature. Thesystem also has a tuning controller communicating with the turbinecontrols. The tuning controller is configured to tune the operation ofthe turbine in accordance with the following steps: receivingoperational data about the turbine, providing a hierarchy of tuningissues, determining whether sensed operational data is withinpredetermined operational limits and producing one or more indicators.If the operational data is not within predetermined operational limits,the tuning controller will rank the one or more indicators to determinethe dominant tuning concern, and tune the operation of the turbine basedon the dominant tuning concern.

The present disclosure also provides a method of tuning the operation ofa gas turbine. The turbine has turbine controls for controlling variousoperational elements of the turbine. The method includes the steps ofreceiving operational data about the turbine, providing a hierarchy oftuning issues and determining whether sensed operational data is withinpredetermined operational limits and producing one or more indicators.If said operational data is not within predetermined operational limits,the tuning controller ranks the one or more indicators to determinedominant tuning concern; and tunes the operation of the turbine based ondominant tuning concern.

The present disclosure further provides a computer readable mediumhaving embodied therein a computer program for tuning the operation of acombustion turbine. The computer readable medium comprises code segmentsfor receiving operational data for the turbine, providing a hierarchy oftuning issues, determining whether sensed operational data is withinpredetermined operational limits and producing one or more indicators ifsaid operational data is not within predetermined operational limits.The computer readable medium also comprises code for ranking the one ormore indicators to determine the dominant tuning concern and tuning theoperation of the turbine based on the dominant tuning concern.

The present disclosure provides a controller and method for tuning theoperation of a gas turbine of the type having sensors for measuringoperational parameters of the turbine and controls for controllingvarious operational control elements of the turbine. The operationalparameters of the turbine which are received by the controller mayinclude one or more of the following: combustor dynamics, turbineexhaust temperature and turbine exhaust emissions. The operationalcontrol elements include one of more of the following: fueldistribution, fuel temperature and fuel air ratio. A communication linkmay be provided between the tuning controller, gas turbine controllerand a main power plant control system. This link permits communicationwith the turbine's sensors and the operational controls from devicesoutside of the turbine system.

The controller operates by receiving data from the sensors. Operationalpriorities for the turbine may be set within the controller and aretypically selected from optimum NOx emissions, optimum power outputand/or optimum combustor dynamics. The data received from the turbinesensors is compared to stored operational standards within thecontroller. The selected operational standards are preferably based onthe set operational priorities. A determination is made as to whetherthe turbine operation conforms to the operational standards. Inaddition, upon the data being determined to be out of conformance, afurther determination is made of the dominant tuning concern. Thisfurther determination is preferably based on the preset operationalpriorities. Once the logical determinations are made, the tuningcontroller communicates with the operational control means to perform aselected adjustment of an operational control element of the turbine.The selected adjustment is preferably based on the dominant tuningconcern and has a preset fixed incremental value and defined valuerange. Each incremental change is preferably input over a set period oftime, which is sufficient for the turbine to gain operational stability,once an adjustment is made. Once the time period passes, operationaldata is again received from the turbine sensor means to determine if anadditional incremental change to an operational control element isdesired. Upon completing the adjustments within a defined range, afurther operational control element is adjusted, again preferably basedon the dominant tuning concern, and a further fixed incrementaladjustment is made. The tuning process continues by the controllerreceiving operational data to determine if the operation is conformingto the operational standards or whether an additional adjustment isrequired. The operational control elements being adjusted by the tuningcontroller may include one or more of the following: the combustor fueldistribution split within the nozzles of the combustor, the fuel gasinlet temperature, and/or the fuel/air ratio within the turbine.

In a further aspect of the disclosure, the system performs a method fordetermination of the dominant gas turbine combustion system tuningscenario (dominant tuning concern) through the use of Booleanhierarchical logic and multiple levels of control settings.

In another aspect of the disclosure, the method performed relates toautomated control of the gas turbine inlet fuel temperature throughautomated modification of the fuel gas temperature control set pointwithin a Distributed Control System (DCS) or similar control system.

In a still further aspect of the disclosure, a method for automatedcontrol of a gas turbine inlet fuel temperature is defined by automatedmodification of the fuel gas temperature control set point within thefuel gas temperature controller.

In another aspect of the disclosure a method for communicating turbinecontrol signals to a gas turbine controller is accomplished through theuse of an existing gas turbine communication link with an externalcontrol device, such as, for example a MODBUS Serial or Ethernetcommunication protocol port existing on the turbine controller forcommunication with the Distributed Control System (DCS).

In a still further aspect of the disclosure a method for modification ofa gas turbine combustion system is defined by a series of auto tuningsettings via a user interface display, which utilizes Boolean-logictoggle switches to select user-desired optimization criteria. The methodis preferably defined by optimization criteria based on OptimumCombustion Dynamics, Optimum NOx Emissions, Optimum Power, Optimum HeatRate, Optimum CO Emissions, Optimum Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG)Life, Optimum Gas Turbine Fuel Blend Ratio or Optimal Gas TurbineTurndown Capability whereby toggling of this switch changes themagnitude of the combustor dynamics control setting(s).

In a still further aspect of the disclosure a method for modification ofa gas turbine combustion system is defined by real-time adjustment of aseries of auto tuning settings via a tuning parameter adjustmentinterface, whereby the specific turbine control settings can be modifiedin real-time by the user/operator through modulation of a series ofcontrol devices, whereby activation of these control devices is allowedthrough triggering of the following Boolean-logic toggle switches:Optimum Combustion Dynamics, Optimum NOx Emissions, Optimum Power,Optimum Heat Rate, Optimum CO Emissions, Optimum Heat Recovery SteamGenerator (HRSG) Life, Optimum Gas Turbine Fuel Blend Ratio or OptimalGas Turbine Turndown Capability.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

For the purpose of illustrating the disclosure, the drawings show formsthat are presently preferred. It should be understood that thedisclosure is not limited to the precise arrangements andinstrumentalities shown in the drawings of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a schematic representation of anoperational plant communication system encompassing the gas turbineengine system and incorporating a gas turbine tuning controller.

FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a functional flow chart for theoperation of a tuning controller according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a user interface display forselecting the optimization mode within the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 shows an exemplary schematic of the inter-relationship of variousoptimization mode settings.

FIG. 5 shows an exemplary overview schematic of the process stepsutilized to determine the alarm signals triggered according to thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary process overview of the steps to determineallowable turbine tuning parameters.

FIG. 7 shows a further detailed exemplary process according to the stepsshown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 provides a further detailed exemplary schematic of the steps thepresent disclosure utilizes to determine the dominant tuning concern.

FIG. 9 shows a first example schematic of the determination of thesystem's dominant tuning concern, given various alarm inputs into thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 10 shows a second example schematic of the determination of thesystem's dominant tuning concern, given various alarm inputs into thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 11 shows a third example schematic of the determination of thesystem's dominant tuning concern, given various alarm inputs into thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 12 shows a fourth example schematic of the determination of thesystem's dominant tuning concern, given various alarm inputs into thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 13 shows a first operational example of operational tuning of a gasturbine engine system as contemplated by the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 shows a second operational example of operational tuning of agas turbine engine system as contemplated by the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 shows a third operational example of operational tuning of a gasturbine engine system as contemplated by the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 shows a fourth operational example of operational tuning of agas turbine engine system as contemplated by the present disclosure.

FIG. 17 shows a first exemplary schematic representation of the functionof the tuning controller of the present disclosure in maintaining thetuning of the turbine system.

FIG. 18 shows a second exemplary schematic representation of thefunction of the tuning controller of the present disclosure inmaintaining the tuning of the turbine system.

FIG. 19 shows an exemplary embodiment of the tuning parameter adjustmentinterface, whereby control elements are utilized for real-time turbinecontrol setting changes within the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods fortuning the operation of combustion turbines. In the depictedembodiments, the systems and methods relate to automatic tuning ofcombustion turbines, such as those used for power generation. Persons ofordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the teachings herein canbe readily adapted to other types of combustion turbines. Accordingly,the terms used herein are not intended to be limiting of the embodimentsof the present invention. Instead, it will be understood that theembodiments of the present disclosure relate generally to the field ofcombustion turbines, and in particular for systems, methods and computerreadable media for tuning of combustion turbines.

FIG. 1 shows a communication diagram for a gas turbine engine (notshown), within which a tuning controller 10 of the present disclosureoperates. As shown, a communication link, such as a Distributed ControlSystem (DCS) is identified by the numeral 20, and provides a link to thevarious elements of the system. However, the operational elements of theturbine may be linked directly to each other, without the need for aDCS. As shown, turbine controller 30 communicates directly with the gasturbine (not shown) and with other elements of the system, such as thetuning controller 10, either directly or through the DCS 20. In thepresent disclosure, information relevant to turbine operation isdirected through the to the tuning controller 10. This relevantinformation is also referred to as the turbine's operational parameters,which are parameters that are measured, by way of various types andnumber of sensors, to indicate the operational status of various aspectsof the gas turbine. These parameters can be fed as inputs into theautotuning controller. Examples of operational parameters includecombustor dynamics, turbine exhaust emissions, and turbine exhausttemperature (which is generally influenced by the overall fuel/air ratioof the turbine).

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the tuning controller 10 is contemplatedto be a stand-alone computer, such as a PC, operating to run as aprogrammable logical controller (PLC), using a form of computer readablemedia. The tuning controller 10 is preferably a separate computer fromthe turbine controller 30 that is in constant communication from withthe turbine controller 30. Signals from the tuning controller 10 mayalso be transferred to the turbine controller 30 or other controlswithin the system by the use of an external control device, such as aMODBUS Serial or Ethernet communication protocol port existing on oradded to the system.

The relevant operational parameters are received from sensor meansassociated with the turbine. For example, the turbine exhaust emissionreading is taken from stack emissions by a continuous emissionsmonitoring system (CEMS) 40, and sent to the tuning controller 10 and/orthe turbine controller 30. Combustion dynamics are sensed using adynamic pressure sensing probe located within the combustion region ofthe turbine combustor. As shown, a continuous dynamics monitoring system(CDMS) 50 is provided and communicates with the tuning controller 10 andturbine controller 30. The CDMS 50 preferably uses either direct mountedor wave guide connected pressure or light sensing probes to measure thecombustion dynamics. Another relevant operational parameter is the fuelgas temperature, which is sensed at the fuel heating controller 60. Thefuel temperature information is directed to the tuning controller 10 andturbine controller 30 from the fuel heating controller 60. Since part ofthe tuning operation may include adjustment of the fuel temperature,there may be a two-way communication between the tuning controller 10and/or turbine controller 30 and the fuel heating unit 60.

Relevant operational data from the turbine is collected at least severaltimes per minute. This data collection allows for near real-time systemtuning. Most relevant turbine operational data is collected by thetuning controller 10 in near real-time. However, the turbine exhaustemissions is typically received from the CEMS 40 by the tuningcontroller 10 with a lag time of up to 2 to 8 minutes from currentoperating conditions. This time lag necessitates the need for the tuningcontroller 10 to receive and buffer relevant information, for a similartime lag, before making operational tuning adjustments. The tuningcontroller 10 tuning adjustment time lag assures that all of theoperational (including exhaust emissions) data is representative of astable turbine operation before and after any adjustments are made. Oncethe data is deemed stable, the tuning controller 10 determines whetherthere is a need for adjustment of operational control elements to bringthe tuning parameters into acceptable ranges. If no adjustment isnecessary, the tuning controller 10 maintains the current tuning andwaits to receive the next data set. If changes are desired, tuningcommences. As used herein, control elements are control inputs that canbe manipulated by the tuning controller 10 to produce a change in theoperational parameters of a gas turbine. These elements can eitherreside within the turbine controller 10, within the plant distributedcontrol system (DCS), or within an external controller that controls theproperties of inputs into the gas turbine (such as fuel gastemperature). Examples of operational control elements include combustorfuel splits, turbine fuel/air ratio, and fuel gas inlet temperature.

All determinations of the need for turbine tuning are performed withinthe tuning controller 10. The tuning operation is started based on anindicator, such as an “alarm” created by receipt of operationalparameter data outside of preset operational criteria. In order for thetuning operation to be initiated, the alarm—and thus the dataanomaly—must continue for a predetermined period of time.

One example of a tuning adjustment is the variation of the fuel nozzlepressure ratio to adjust combustion dynamics. With the requirement ofhigher firing temperatures to achieve greater flame temperatures andefficiency, turbine combustors must release more energy in a givencombustor volume. Better exhaust emissions are often achieved byincreasing the mixing rate of fuel and air upstream of the combustionreaction zone. The increased mixing rate is often achieved by increasingthe pressure drop at the fuel nozzle discharge. As the mixing rateincreases in combustors, the turbulence generated by combustion oftenleads to noise within the combustor and may lead to the generation ofacoustic waves. Typically, acoustic waves are caused when the soundwaves of the combustion flames are coupled with the acousticcharacteristics of the combustor volume or the fuel system itself.

Acoustic waves may affect the internal pressure in the chamber. Wherecombustor pressure near a fuel nozzle rises, the rate of fuel flowingthrough the nozzle and the accompanying pressure drop decreases.Alternatively, a decrease in pressure near the nozzle will cause anincrease in fuel flow. In cases where a low fuel nozzle pressure dropallows fuel flow oscillation, a combustor may experience amplifiedpressure oscillations. To combat the pressure oscillations within thecombustor, combustion dynamics are monitored and the fuel air ratio andfuel nozzle pressure ratio may be modified to reduce or eliminateunwanted variations in combustor pressure, thereby curing an alarmsituation or bringing the combustion system back to an acceptable levelof combustion dynamics.

As shown in FIG. 2, the data received from the CDMS 50, CEMS 40, fuelgas temperature controller 60 and other relevant turbine operatingparameters from the turbine controller 30 may be directed through theDCS 20 to the tuning controller 10. Alternatively, although not shown,one or more of these elements may communicate directly with each other,without the need for a DCS 20. The input values are then compared tostandard or target operational data for the turbine that are stored inthe tuning controller as operational standards. The stored operationalstandards are based, at least in part, on the operational prioritysettings for the turbine in the form of tuning alarm levels, as will bedescribed in more detail below. The priority settings are defined byuser selected inputs on the main user interface 12 of the tuningcontroller 10, as shown in FIG. 3. Based on the priority settings, aseries of adjustments are made to the operation of the turbine by theturbine controller 10. The adjustments are directed to the controlmeans, including the fuel heating unit 60 (FIG. 1) and various otheroperational control elements of the turbine controller 30.

The interface display 12 depicted in FIG. 3 is the main user interfacedisplay that end users will operate to determine tuning alarm levels.The interface 12 is comprised of switches (each having an On/Offindication). These switches allow the user to specify the desired tuningpriorities for the operation of the turbine. In the embodiment shown,the switched operational priorities include optimum NOx emissions 14,optimum power 16 and optimum combustor dynamics 18. Each of theseswitches is set by the user to adjust the preferred operation of theturbine. Switching the switches from “Off” to “On” operates to changethe alarm limits for each parameter. Additionally, switching some or allof the Operational Priorities 14, 16, 18 to “On” affords the userfurther turbine optimization though real-time adjustments of pertinentcontrol settings via the Tuning Parameter Adjustment Interface 262 ofFIG. 19. Within the tuning controller 10 are functions that modifyoperations within the turbine, based on priorities set by the switches.The priorities may also be governed by hard coded logic in addition touser selected priorities and manual settings, as discussed in furtherdetail below. For example, in the embodiment described here, if both theoptimum NOx emissions switch 14 and the optimum power switch 16 are setto “On”, the controller 10 will run in the Optimum NOx mode, not Optimumpower. Thus, to run in Optimum power mode, the Optimum NOx emissionsswitch 14 must be “Off”. In the embodiment shown, Optimum power 16 mayonly be selected if Optimum NOx 14 is in the off position. Optimumdynamics 18 can be selected at any time. It is explicitly noted thatother User-Interface Toggle Switches (not shown) may be used, includingparameters such as Optimum Heat Rate, Optimum CO emissions, Optimum HeatRecovery Steam Generator (HRSG) Life, Optimum Gas Turbine Fuel BlendRatio, Optimal Gas Turbine Turndown Capability, etc.

FIG. 4 shows a graphical representation of the interrelationship of theinterface display switches. As shown, switching one parameter “On” willalter the alarm limits to a different level than their “Off” level. Inthe example shown in FIG. 4, the alarm limits are shown with bothOptimum NOx and optimum power in the “On” position and in the “Off’position. These points on the graph are then modified by the selectionof Optimum dynamics (represented throughout by the symbol 8) in eitherthe “On” or “Off’ position. The points shown on the graph of FIG. 4represent an exemplary set of limits for dynamics, based on the user'sselected operational priorities.

Returning to FIG. 2, there is shown a representation of the logical flowof the determinations and calculations made within the tuning controller10. The tuning controller 10 receives the actual operating parameters ofthe turbine through the turbine controller 30, combustor dynamicsthrough the CDMS 50, and the turbine exhaust emissions through the CEMS40. This sensor data is directed to the tuning controller 10, eitherdirectly from the elements 40, 50 and 60 mentioned above, or through theDCS 20. The received sensor data is compared to stored operationalstandards to determine if the turbine operation is conforming to thedesired settings. The operational standards are stored in the tuningcontroller 10 in the form of alarm levels, where normal operation of theturbine will return operational data for each parameter that is betweenthe high and low alarm levels set for that parameter. The alarm levelsfor the operational standards are based on the preset operationalpriorities of the turbine, defined by the user switches 14, 16, 18 onthe main user interface display 12 of the tuning controller 10, asdiscussed above with respect to FIG. 3.

Based on the preset operational priorities, a hierarchical Boolean logicapproach that is coded into the tuning controller 10 determines thedominant tuning concern based on operational priorities. From thislogical selection, the tuning controller 10 implements a fixedincremental adjustment value for changing an operational parameter ofthe turbine within a maximum range of adjustment (e.g., high and lowvalues). The tuning changes are made in a consistent, predetermineddirection over a pre-determined increment of time and are dependent onthe dominant tuning concern at the time. It is contemplated that noformulaic or functional calculations are made to determine tuningadjustments; rather, the magnitude of the incremental adjustments, thedirection of the adjustments, and the time span between adjustments foreach control element are stored in the tuning controller 10 and selectedbased on the alarm(s) returned and user's operational priorities. Thiscriteria is preferably stored in the tuning controller 10 as tuningcontrol constraints and may be modified from time to time as desired bythe user.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tuning controller 10 determines whether theemissions are in compliance 100 and whether the combustor dynamics areat acceptable levels 102 by comparing the operating parameters receivedfrom the CDMS 50 and CEMS 40 respectively, to the operational standardsand alarm levels saved in the tuning controller 10 as discussed above.If both are in compliance with the set operational standards, no furtheraction is taken and the tuning controller 10 waits for the next data setfrom the CEMS 40 or the CDMS 50, or for other operational data from theturbine controller 30. If the data received from the CEMS 40 or the CDMS50 is non-conforming with the operational standards, i.e. above or belowalarm levels, as is the case with step 104 of FIG. 2, the tuningoperation moves to the next tuning step of first determining thedominant tuning concern 106. The logical adjustment of turbine operationis defined by the dominant tuning concern 106, which is based, at leastin part, on the preset operational priorities set within the userinterface 12, as will be discussed below with respect to FIG. 8.

Once the dominant tuning concern is determined, the tuning controller 10will attempt to correct the operational parameter to ensure that thelevels are within the operational standards stored in the tuningcontroller 10. In a preferred embodiment of the operation, to correct atuning issue, the tuning controller 10 will first attempt toincrementally change the turbine combustor fuel splits 108. The fuelsplit determines the distribution of the fuel flow to the fuel nozzlesin each combustor. If adjusting the fuel splits 108 does not resolve thetuning issue and place the operational parameters data back intoconformance with the operational standards, a further adjustment to anadditional operational control element is performed. Such additionaloperational control elements may be other fuel splits (in the case of asystem with multiple fuel splits, often referred to as FS1, FS2, etc) orother features of operation, such as fuel air ratio or fuel temperature.In the example shown, the next incremental adjustment may be a change ofthe fuel gas temperature set point. In this adjustment step, the tuningcontroller 10 sends a modified fuel gas inlet temperature signal to theDCS 20, which is then directed to the fuel heating unit 60.

After the incremental steps are taken in step 108, a check at step 110,is made to see if modification of the combustor fuel splits and/or fuelgas inlet temperature resolved the tuning issue. If further tuningcorrections are needed, the tuning controller 10 will alter the overallfuel/air ratio 112. This approach makes changes to the turbine thermalcycle utilizing fixed incremental changes over pre-determined amounts oftime. The step of modifying the fuel/air ration 112 is intended toadjust the exhaust temperature (up or down) in accordance withpredetermined, standard control curves for the turbine operation, whichare maintained within the memory of the tuning controller 10.

In the present disclosure, the normal mode of communication providestuning changes utilizing control signals intended for a given controlelement that are directed by the tuning controller to the turbinecontroller 30 through the DCS 20. However, the control signals can alsobe communicated directly to the turbine controller 30, without use ofthe DCS 20. These adjustments are implemented directly within thevarious controller means within the system or through the turbinecontroller 30. When the operational data is returned to within thedesired operational standards, the tuning settings are held in place bythe tuning controller 10 pending an alarm resulting from non-conformingdata received from the sensor means 40, 50, 60.

The adjustments sent from the tuning controller 10 to the turbinecontroller 30 or the associated controller means are preferably fixed inmagnitude. Thus, the adjustments are not recalculated with new data oroptimized to a target. The adjustments are part of an “open loop.” Oncestarted, the adjustments move incrementally to the preset maximum ormaximum within a specified range, unless an interim adjustment placesthe operation data into conformance with the operational standards or anew dominant tuning concern arises. Under most circumstances, when thefull incremental range for one operational control element is completed,the tuning controller 10 moves on to the next operational controlelement, which is defined by the preset operational priorities anddominant tuning concern. The logic of the tuning controller 10 drivesthe adjustment of operational control elements on a step-by-step basis,where the incremental steps of adjustment for each control element arestored within the memory of the tuning controller 10.

The tuning controller 10 preferably addresses one operational controlelement at a time. For example, the dominant tuning concern 106 dictatesthe first adjustment to be made. In the preferred example discussedabove, the fuel distribution control element is first adjusted in step108. As indicated in FIG. 2, during this step, the fuel split of fuelcircuit 1 is addressed, followed by the split for fuel circuit 2.

It should be noted that the application of fuel circuits 1 and 2 isgeneral in nature and can be applied to the specific hardwareconfiguration within any particular combustion system. Therefore, thistuning approach is applicable to any combustion system, regardless if ithas only one fuel split, two fuel splits, or more than two fuel splits.If the combustion system has only one useful fuel split, then thissecond tuning step or adjusting fuel circuit 2 may be left within thetuning algorithm; but, abandoned in-place. If the combustion system hasmore than 2 fuel splits, then the 2 most effective fuel split “knobs” orcontrol elements are utilized, or there are additional adjustments tothe remaining fuel splits as dictated by the particular combustionsystem being tuned. Last, the user can turn off the tuning of the 2^(nd)fuel circuit, thereby allowing only one fuel circuit to be used intuning.

The fuel gas inlet temperature adjustment generally follows the fuelsplit adjustments when needed. Within each step, there is an incrementaladjustment, followed by a time lag to permit the adjusted turbineoperation to stabilize. After the time lag, if the current operationaldata analyzed by the tuning controller 10 indicates that turbineoperation still remains outside of the operational standards, the nextincremental adjustment is made. This pattern repeats for each step.Under most circumstances, only when one adjustment step is completeddoes the tuning controller move onto the next operational controlelement.

The tuning controller 10 preferably controls combustion operation tomaintain proper tuning in variable conditions of ambient temperature,humidity and pressure, all of which vary over time and have asignificant effect on turbine operation. The tuning controller 10 mayalso maintain the tuning of the turbine during variation in fuelcomposition. Variation in fuel composition may cause a change in theheat release, which can lead to unacceptable emissions, unstablecombustion, or even blow out. The tuning controller 10 preferably doesnot serve to adjust fuel composition to compensate; rather, it tunes theoperational control elements (fuel gas distribution, fuel gas inlettemperature, and/or turbine fuel/air ratio) to address the effects oncombustion output and discharge. However, an embodiment where the tuningcontroller 10 also serves to adjust fuel composition may be incorporatedinto the present system with additional control architecture.

In other tuning scenarios, an alternate order for the adjustments iscontemplated. For example, if the dominant tuning concern is high NOxemissions, the fuel temperature adjustment may be skipped, goingdirectly to the operational control curves to adjust fuel/air ratio. If,however, Class 1 dynamics is the dominant tuning concern, theincremental fuel temperature adjustment may be performed before going tothe operational control curves. Alternatively, the step of makingadjustments to control elements in accordance with the operational fuelair ratio control curves may be turned off completely, based on a user'spriorities.

FIG. 5 provides a schematic that details the framework for determiningthe dominant tuning concern 106, as included in FIG. 2. Future stepswill be described below with respect to FIG. 8. First, relevantemissions parameters 120 and combustor dynamics 122 are received by thetuning controller 10 from the CEMS 40 and CDMS 50, as detailed above.The relevant emissions parameters 120 and combustor dynamics 122 arethen compared to allowable tuning limits 124 that are also provided tothe tuning controller 10. The allowable tuning limits are in the form ofpreset ranges that may be adjusted using the tuning interface 12 of FIG.3 and Tuning Parameter Adjustment Interface 262 of FIG. 19, anddetermined according to the logic set forth below with respect to FIGS.6 and 7. The output of this comparison is a series of “True” alarms 126of various tuning concerns, where an alarm condition is indicated if thesensed operational data 120, 122 is above or below a given alarm rangeset forth in the tuning limits 124.

Alarm conditions may have more than one level or tier. For example,there may be varying degrees of severity of an alarm, such as: high “H”;high-high “HH”; high-high-high “HHH” and low “L”; low-low “L”;low-low-low “LLL”. The “True” logical alarms 126 are subsequently rankedaccording to their level of importance (e.g. high—high “HH” alarms aremore important than high “H” alarms, etc) in step 130. If more than onetuning concern shares the same level, the tuning concerns will then beranked according to the user preferences as set forth below with respectto FIG. 8. If only one “True” alarm emerges, this will be selected andused as the dominant tuning concern 106 to initiate the tuning processas set forth in FIG. 2. However, the results of the process of FIG. 5,namely the ranked “True” alarms 130, will be processed through userdetermined criteria, as shown in FIG. 8, before a dominant tuningconcern 106 is confirmed.

In FIG. 6, a flow chart is provided to explain how the allowable tuninglimits 124 are determined. Once determined, the tuning limits 124 arecompared to the operational data 120, 122 as set forth above and shownin FIG. 5. First, the User Interface Toggle Switches 14, 16, 18corresponding to those in the interface display 12 of FIG. 3, arecompared against each other, utilizing an internal hierarchy to allowpassage of the alarm constraints relative to the most significant toggleswitch. Thus, depending on which switches are in the “On” position,different tuning limits will be included in the allowable tuning limits124. Each of Optimum NOx, Optimum Power and Optimum Dynamics has acollection of preset limits (denoted by the numerals 134, 136 and 138 inFIG. 6), depending on whether the corresponding toggle switch 14, 16, 18is in the “On” of “Off’ position. There is also an internal set ofdefault limits 140 to be used when none of the toggle switches are inthe “On” position. Additionally, if some or all of the User InterfaceToggle Switches 14, 16, or 18 are selected “On”, the Tuning ParameterAdjustment Interface 262 of FIG. 19 can be utilized by the user/operatorin real-time, to adjust relevant tuning limits, with further internalcontrols to ensure valid limits are entered.

The internal hierarchy will determine which tuning limits shall takeprecedence in the event that competing toggle switches 14, 16 or 18 arein the “On” position. In the present example, the hierarchy ranksOptimum NOx above Optimum Power. Optimum Dynamics may be selected at anytime and will simply alter the tuning limits of the other selectionsgiven, such as is shown in FIG. 4. If Optimum NOx 14 and Optimum Power16 are both in the “On” position, the tuning limits for Optimum NOx 134will be used. In addition to the internal tuning limits, the TuningParameter Adjustment Interface 262 of FIG. 19 can be used to change theactual High and Low NOx tuning limits 250, 252 in real-time.Additionally, the tuning limits for Optimum Dynamics 138 are utilized ifthis toggle switch 18 is activated. Likewise manual adjustment of thehigh Class 1 and Class 2 dynamics settings 254, 256 can be conductedmanually using the Tuning Parameter Adjustment Interface 262 of FIG. 19.If no User Interface Toggle Switches 14, 16, 18 are active, defaulttuning limits 140 are provided as the allowable tuning limits 124, andthe Tuning Parameter Adjustment Interface 262 of FIG. 19 will not beoperable to change any of the tuning settings. All of the tuning limits134, 136, 138 and 140 that may be used to construct the allowable tuninglimits for the tuning controller 10 may be developed by the end user andprogrammers and can be hard coded into the tuning controller 10 orreal-time adjusted in real time using the Tuning Parameter AdjustmentInterface 262, provided some Optimization Criteria 14, 16, 18 areselected “On”, for a given application. The methodology outlined in FIG.6 is meant to provide an exemplary framework for incorporation of anumber of different User Interface Toggle Switches and tuning parameteradjustment control devices, such as those options set forth above withrespect to FIGS. 3 and 19, whereby only a subset are specificallyoutlined in this disclosure.

FIG. 7 shows a specific example of the flow chart of FIG. 6 given forthe determination of a subset of the system's allowable tuning limits.In this example, the tuning limits for High NOx, High High NOx, HighClass 1 OP's, High Class 2 OP's will be determined based on presettuning limits and the user's preferences. The various exemplary tuninglimits are provided for Optimum NOx 134, Optimum Power 136, OptimumDynamics 138, and No Optimal Settings 140 are given correspondingnumerical values (shown respectively in blocks 152, 154, 156 and 158).The corresponding numerical values given for each criterion vary, suchthat the allowable limits 124 will be different depending on whichtoggle switches 14, 16 or 18 are selected and associated manual tuningsettings are manipulated using their respective Tuning ParameterAdjustment Interface 262 control devices 250, 252, 254, 256. By way ofexample, the Optimum NOx 134, 152 and Optimum Power 136, 154 give limitsfor NOx, but also provide limits for Dynamics that are to be used in theevent that Optimum Dynamics 138, 156 is not selected. However, in theevent that the Optimum Dynamics toggle 18 is selected, the Class 1 OP'sand Class 2 OP's values provided therefor 156 shall be used instead ofthe values listed with respect to Optimum NOx 134, 152 and Optimum Power136, 154.

In this particular example, the toggle switches for Optimum NOx 14 andOptimum Dynamics 18 are selected, with the switch for Optimum Power 16left in the “Off’ position. Thus, the values from Optimum NOx for HighNOx and High High NOx 152 are provided. Also, because Optimum Dynamics18 is also selected, the Dynamics values for High Class 1 OP's and HighClass 2 OP's 138, 156 replace those OP's values provided with respect toOptimum NOx 134, 152. As a result, the allowable tuning limits 124 areprovided as shown in block 160. These allowable tuning limits 124correspond to those used in FIG. 5, as described above, to determinewhether information from the CEMS 40 and CDMS 50 is in an alarm state oroperating normally. As mentioned above, because the toggle switches forOptimum NOx 14 and Optimum Dynamics 18 are selected, the High NOx 250,Low NOx 252, High Class 1 Dynamics 254, and High Class 2 Dynamics 256control settings from the Tuning Parameter Interface Display 262 of FIG.19 may be used to alter the values for the High NOx, High Class 1 andClass 2 Dynamics settings 124, 160 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 8, shows a schematic for the process of incorporating a user'spriorities and the “True” alarm conditions received for determining thedominant tuning concern 106. It is this tuning concern 106 whichdictates the turbine operational changes the turbine controller 10performs, as shown in FIG. 2.

First, a determination is made of all potential dominant tuning issues142. These include, but are not limited to: combustor blowout, COemissions, NOx emissions, Class 1 combustor dynamics (Class 1 61³'s),and Class 2 combustor dynamics (Class 2 61³'s). The list of potentialdominant tuning issues 142 is determined by the user and programmer andmay be based on a number of factors or operational criteria. By way ofexample, Class 1 and Class 2 combustor dynamics 6P's refer to combustiondynamics occurring over specific ranges of acoustic frequencies, wherebythe range of frequencies is different between Classes 1 and 2. Indeed,many combustion systems can possess different acoustic resonantfrequencies corresponding to Class 1 and Class 2, and variations inthese two dynamics classes may be mitigated utilizing different turbineoperational parameter changes for each different turbine and/orcombustor arrangement. It should also be noted that certain combustionsystems may have none, 1, 2, or greater than 2 different “classes”(frequency ranges) of combustor dynamics which can be tuned. Thisdisclosure utilizes a system whereby two different combustor dynamicsclasses are mentioned. However, it is fully intended that thisdisclosure can be broadly applied to any number of distinct dynamicsfrequency classes (from 0 to greater than 2).

After determination of the potential dominant tuning issues 142, theseissues are ranked in order of significance 144 according to the enduser's needs as well as the detrimental effects that each tuning concerncan have on the environment and/or turbine performance. The relativeimportance of each potential dominant tuning concern can be differentwith each end user, and for each combustor arrangement. For example,some combustion systems will demonstrate an extreme sensitivity tocombustor dynamics, such that normal daily operational parametervariations can cause a normally benign dynamics tuning concern to becomecatastrophic in a very short amount of time. In this case, one or bothof the dominant dynamics tuning concerns (Class 1 and Class 2) may beelevated to Priority 1 (Most Important). By way of example in FIG. 7,combustor blowout is listed as the most important Dominant TuningConcern 144. This ranking is used to determine the dominant tuningconcern in the event that there are multiple alarms with equal levels ofseverity. This ranking of Dominant Tuning Concerns 144, from most toleast important, provides the overall framework where the specificBoolean Logic Hierarchy 148 is created. For example, assuming Class 1and Class 2 OP's obey generally monotonic behavior relative toperturbations in system operational parameters, a High-High “HH” Class 2OP's alarm may be more significant than High “H” Class 1 6P's alarm.Additionally, in the example given in FIG. 8 for the Boolean LogicHierarchy 148, High “H” NOx emissions is more significant than High “H”Class 2 dynamics. This means that if both High “H” NOx and High “H”Class 2 dynamics are both “in alarm” (Logic=True), in the absence ofother alarms being “True”, the autotuning system will tune for High “H”NOx because it is the dominant tuning concern. Finally, it can be seenthat Blowout is ranked above NOx Emissions and both are ranked aboveClass 1 61³'s. Thus, if there were high “H” alarms returned for allthree categories, Blowout would be the dominant tuning concern, followedby NOx Emissions and then Class 1 OP's. This Boolean Logic Hierarchy 148will be what is compared to the “True” alarms 130 returned by comparingthe allowable tuning limits 124 to the operational data 120, 122 as setforth above with respect to FIG. 5.

All “True” tuning alarms 130 are provided as ranked by severity (e.g.HHH above HH, etc.). The “True” tuning alarms 130 are then compared withthe hard-coded Boolean Logic Hierarchy 148, in step 150 to determinewhich tuning will become the “True” Dominant Tuning Concern 106. Thisone “True” Dominant Tuning Concern 106 is now passed into the remainderof the autotuning algorithm, as detailed in FIG. 2, as the DominantTuning Concern 106 to be mitigated by operational changes.

FIGS. 9-12 provide exemplary visual representations of the autotuningsystem interface depicting how the Boolean Logic Hierarchy works inpractice. FIG. 9 shows the alarms returned in connection with theexample set forth above with respect to FIG. 8. Namely, alarms arereturned for Class 2 OP's at the levels of H 162, HH 164 and HHH 166. Inaddition, alarms for NOx 168 and Class 1 SP's 170 are returned at the Hlevel. Since more extreme levels trump conflicts of different alarms atthe same level, the HHH Class 2 OP's is the priority and therefore thedominant tuning concern 172.

FIGS. 10-12 show various further examples of the dominant tuning concernfor different “True” alarm levels under the user defined hierarchy 144of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 shows a NOx alarm at the HH level returned, with noother alarms of this severity. Thus, high NOx is the dominant tuningconcern. FIG. 11 shows a Class 1 OP's at an H level as the only alarmcondition, thus making Class 1 OP's as the dominant tuning concern.Finally, FIG. 12 shows that Class 2 OP's and Blowout both return alarmsat the H level. Referring to the user ranking of dominant tuning issues144 in FIG. 8, Blowout is ranked as a priority above Class 2 61³'s andthus, although the severity of the alarms is equal, Blowout becomes thedominant tuning concern.

In FIGS. 13-16, there is shown various examples of the operationalresults of a tuning operation of a tuning controller of the presentdisclosure based on operational data from a running turbine system. InFIG. 13, the dominant tuning concern is high Class 2 61³'s, and a changein the combustor fuel split E1 is made in reaction to a high Class 2OP's alarm generated when the combustor dynamics moves outside of theset operational priorities for optimum dynamics. The actual combustordynamics data received by the turbine controller 10 from, for example,the CDMS 50 is designated as 200 in the graph. The moving average forthe combustor dynamics is identified in the graph as 202. When thecombustor dynamics exceed the dynamics alarm limit value 204 for a setperiod of time TA an alarm goes off within the tuning controller. Thisalarm causes the first event E1 and a resulting incremental adjustmentin the combustor fuel split tuning parameter 206. As illustrated, theincremental increase in the fuel split causes a corresponding drop inthe combustor dynamics 200, with the average combustor dynamics 202dropping below the dynamics alarm limit 204. As time continues, thetuning is held by the tuning controller and the average combustordynamics 202 maintains its operational position below the dynamics limit204. Thus, no further adjustments necessary or alarms issued.

In FIG. 14, the dominant tuning concern is high NOx emissions. As NOxemissions data 210 is received from the tuning controller, an alarm isgenerated after the passage of time TA. The alarm is caused by the NOxemissions 210 exceeding the operational standard or tuning limit 212.The alarm activates a first event E1 resulting in an incrementalincrease in the fuel split 214. After a period of time TB from the firstevent E1, the NOx alarm is still activated due to the NOx emissions 210exceeding the preset tuning limit 212. This continued alarm after timeTB causes a second event E2 and a second incremental increase in thefuel split value 214. This second increase is equal in magnitude to thefirst incremental increase. The second event E2 causes the NOx emissionslevel 210 to drop below the preset limit 212 within the review timeperiod and halts the alarm. As the NOx emissions 210 remains below thelimit 212, the fuel split 214 tuning is held and the operation of theturbine continues with the defined operational parameters.

In FIG. 15, the dominant tuning concern is low NOx emissions/Blowout,with the alarm created by a low reading received by tuning controller.As shown, the NOx tuning limit 220 is defined. Upon passage of the settime period TA from receiving NOx level data 222, the alarm is generatedand a first event E1 occurs. At the first event E1, the fuel split level224 is incrementally adjusted downward. After a set passage of time TBfrom event E1 additional NOx emissions data 222 is received and comparedto the preset alarm level 220. Because the NOx is still below the alarmlevel 220, a second event E2 occurs resulting in a further incrementalreduction in the fuel split value 224. A further passage of time TC fromevent E2 occurs and additional data is received. Again, the NOx data 212is low, maintaining the alarm and resulting in a further event E3. Atevent E3, the fuel split value 224 is again reduced by the sameincremental amount. This third incremental adjustment results in the NOxemissions 222 rising above the preset limit 220 and results in removalof the alarm. The fuel split 224 tuning value set after event E3 is heldin place by the tuning controller 10.

In FIG. 16, the NOx emissions data 230 received by the tuning controller10 is again tracking along the lower emissions limit 232, resulting in alow NOx/Blowout dominant tuning concern. At the first tuning event E1,the fuel split value 234 is incrementally dropped to result in acorresponding increase in the NOx emissions 230 over the lower limit232. After this first incremental adjustment, the NOx emissions for aperiod of time holds above the limit 232 and then begins to again fall.At the second tuning event E2, the fuel split value 234 is againadjusted by the designated fixed incremental value. This secondadjustment then places the fuel split value 234 at its defined minimumwithin the preset range of allowable values (determined as a hard codedlimit within the tuning controller 10). Because this limit is reached,the tuning operation moves to the next operational parameter, which isnormally the second fuel circuit adjustment. In the example provided,this second circuit value (not shown) is already at its setmaximum/minimum and is therefore not adjusted. Thus, the tuningoperation moves on to the next operational parameter, load controlcurves 236. As shown, at event E2 an incremental adjustment is made inthe load control curve value 236. The increase in the load control curvevalue (turbine fuel to air ratio) 236 results in a correspondingincrease in the NOx emission 230 to a value above the minimum 232 andremoves the alarm. Upon removal of the alarm, the tuning settings areheld and no further adjustments are made. The tuning controller 10 thenproceeds to receive data from the sensor means, through the DCS, andcontinues to make comparisons with the set operational standards(including the minimum NOx emissions limit EL).

FIGS. 17 and 18 are examples of schematic representations of theoperation of the tuning controller within contemplated disclosure. Theoperation of the turbine is defined by the emission output of theturbine, both NOx and CO, turbine dynamics and flame stability. In FIG.17, a tuned system is defined by a preferred operating envelope in thecenter of the operational diamond. This preferred operational envelopeis typically manually set based on a prior start-up or operation of theturbine system. However, weather changes, both hot and cold, andmechanical changes within the turbine system cause a drift within theoperational diamond. Hence a tuning is desired so as to maintain theturbine operation within the preferred range.

In FIG. 18, a defined buffer or margin 132 is set within the operationaldiamond to serve as a warning for a drift of the turbine operationoutside of the preferred operational envelope. Once one of the sensedoperational values reaches the defined buffer line or limit, an alarm isgenerated, causing a tuning event. Based on the direction of the drift,the tuning controller creates a preset reaction to meet the specifics ofthe tuning need. This preset reaction is a defined incremental shift inan operational control element of the turbine as a means for moving theturbine operational envelope back into the desired range, and away fromthe buffer limit. It should be noted that each parameter may have morethan one alarm, such as high “H”; high-high “IIH” and high-high-high“HHH.” These alarms may be sequentially located around the diamond shownto alert operators of how close the turbine operation is to the outsideof desired operational limits.

FIG. 19 delineates the Tuning Parameter Adjustment Interface 262,whereby the user/operator can adjust the tuning parameters in real-timeto meet their respective operational goals, The Tuning ParameterAdjustment Interface 262 is preferably a graphical user interface, suchas a computer monitor or other screen that may be operable using acomputer mouse, track ball or touch screen technology. The tuningparameters are adjusted by sliding the respective parameter adjustmentcontrol device up/down, whereby the maximum and minimum limits for eachtuning parameter can be programmatically modified as desired. Eachtunable parameter control device 250, 252, 254, 256 is independent ofany of the other parameters. For instance, manually adjusting High NOx250 has no direct influence on the High Class 1 dynamics limits 254.Activation of these tuning parameter adjustments is achieved only withan “On” or “True” Boolean setting for their respective turbineOperational Priorities 14, 16, 18, as identified in FIG. 3. Forinstance, Selecting Optimum NOX Emissions 14, shown in FIG. 3, “On”activates the ability to manually adjust High NOx 250 and Low NOx 252only. Alternatively, selecting Optimum Dynamics 18, shown in FIG. 3,“On” allows manual adjustment of High Class 1 Dynamics 254 and HighClass 2 Dynamics 256 only.

The present disclosure has been described and illustrated with respectto a number of exemplary embodiments thereof. It should understood bythose skilled in the art from the foregoing that various other changes,omissions and additions may be made therein, without departing from thespirit and scope of the present disclosure, with the scope of thepresent disclosure being described by the foregoing claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A tuning system for tuning the operation ofa gas turbine, the system comprising: operational turbine controls forcontrolling operational control elements of the turbine, the operationalcontrol elements producing a change in operational parameter data of thegas turbine; a tuning controller communicating with the operationalturbine controls to adjust one or more operational control element, thetuning controller configured to tune the operation of the turbine inaccordance with the following: receiving real-time or near real-timeoperational parameter data about the turbine, adjusting one or moretuning priorities within a range to change stored operational standards,the stored operational standards in the form of tuning alarm levels,determining whether sensed operational parameter data is within thestored operational standards and producing one or more indicators ifsaid operational data is not within the stored operational standards,ranking the one or more indicators based on the hierarchy of tuningpriorities to determine the dominant tuning concern, determining whetherthe one or more indicators has continued for a predetermined period oftime; and tuning the operation of the turbine by causing an adjustmentin one of the operational control element, wherein the operationalcontrol element being adjusted is selected based on the dominant tuningconcern.
 2. The tuning system according to claim 1, further comprisingat least one sensor for sensing the operational parameters of theturbine, wherein the operational parameters include at least one ofcombustor dynamics or turbine exhaust emissions.
 3. The tuning systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the one or more indicators are rankedbased on the severity of each indicator.
 4. The tuning system accordingto claim 3, wherein the one or more indicators are further ranked basedon the tuning priorities, such that indicators of the same magnitude areranked based on the tuning priorities.
 5. The tuning system according toclaim 1, wherein tuning the operation of the turbine based on dominanttuning concern comprises making incremental adjustments in one or moreoperational control elements of the turbine.
 6. The tuning systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the one or more indicators comprises oneor more alarm levels indicating that the operational data of the turbineis outside of allowable limits of the turbine.
 7. The tuning systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the tuning priorities for the turbinecomprise one or more selected from the group comprising NOx levels,power level, and combustion dynamics.
 8. The tuning system according toclaim 1, wherein the tuning controller communicates indirectly with theturbine controller through a distribution control system (DCS) orsimilar control system.
 9. The tuning system according to claim 1,wherein the tuning controller communicates directly with the turbinecontroller.
 10. The tuning system according to claim 1, furthercomprising a user interface operable to adjust tuning parameter limitsduring operation of the tuning system.
 11. The tuning system accordingto claim 1, wherein the operational control elements comprise one ormore of turbine fuel distribution splits of the fuel circuits of thecombustors, fuel gas inlet temperature, and fuel/air ratio within theturbine.
 12. A method of tuning the operation of a gas turbine, theturbine having turbine controls for controlling operational controlelements of the turbine, the operational control elements producing achange in operational parameter data of the gas turbine, the methodcomprising: receiving real-time or near real-time operational parameterdata about the turbine, adjusting one or more tuning priorities within arange to change stored operational standards, the stored operationalstandards in the form of tuning alarm levels, determining whether sensedoperational parameter data is within the stored operational standardsand producing one or more indicators if said operational data is notwithin the stored operational standards, ranking the one or moreindicators based on the hierarchy of tuning priorities to determine thedominant tuning concern, determining whether the one or more indicatorshas continued for a predetermined period of time; and tuning theoperation of the turbine by causing an adjustment in one of theoperational control element, wherein the operational control elementbeing adjusted is selected based on the dominant tuning concern.
 13. Themethod according to claim 12, wherein the one or more indicators areranked based on the severity of the indicator.
 14. The method accordingto claim 13, wherein the one or more indicators are further ranked basedon the tuning priorities, such that indicators of the same magnitude areranked based on the tuning priorities.
 15. The method according to claim12, wherein step of tuning the operation of the turbine based ondominant tuning concern comprises making incremental adjustments in oneor more operational control elements of the turbine.
 16. The methodaccording to claim 12, wherein the tuning priorities comprise one ormore selected from the group comprising NOx levels, power level andcombustion dynamics.
 17. The method according to claim 12, whereinreal-time adjustment of tuning limits is achieved through the use of agraphical user interface during operation of the turbine.
 18. The methodaccording to claim 12, wherein the operational control elements compriseone or more of turbine fuel distribution splits of the fuel circuits ofthe combustors, fuel gas inlet temperature, and fuel/air ratio withinthe turbine.
 19. A non-transitory computer readable medium havingembodied therein a computer program for tuning the operation of acombustion turbine comprising code segments for: controlling operationalcontrol elements of the turbine, the operational control elementsproducing a change in operational parameter data of the gas turbine,receiving real-time or near real-time operational parameter data aboutthe turbine, adjusting one or more tuning priorities within a range tochange stored operational standards, the stored operational standards inthe form of tuning alarm levels, determining whether sensed operationalparameter data is within the stored operational standards and producingone or more indicators if said operational data is not within the storedoperational standards, ranking the one or more indicators based on thehierarchy of tuning priorities to determine the dominant tuning concern,determining whether the one or more indicators has continued for apredetermined period of time; and tuning the operation of the turbine bycausing an adjustment in one of the operational control element, whereinthe operational control element being adjusted is selected based on thedominant tuning concern.
 20. The computer readable medium according toclaim 19, wherein the tuning priorities comprise one or more selectedfrom the group comprising NOx levels, power level and combustiondynamics.
 21. The computer readable medium according to claim 19,wherein the one or more indicators are ranked based on the severity ofthe indicator and wherein the indicators are further ranked based on thetuning priorities, such that indicators of the same magnitude are rankedbased on the tuning priorities.
 22. The computer readable mediumaccording to claim 19, wherein tuning the operation of the turbinecomprises making incremental adjustments of at least one operationalcontrol element of the turbine.
 23. The computer readable mediumaccording to claim 19, wherein real-time adjustment of tuning limits isachieved through the use of a graphical user interface.
 24. The computerreadable medium according to claim 19, wherein the operational controlelements comprise one or more of turbine fuel distribution splits of thefuel circuits of the combustors, fuel gas inlet temperature, andfuel/air ratio within the turbine.